Reid boosts Stevenage promotion bid with winner

Jamie Reid’s winner saw Stevenage boost their Sky Bet League Two automatic promotion chances as they beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1 to end a run of five games without a victory.

Midfielder Jordan Roberts gave the home side the perfect start when he smashed home after only four minutes for his first goal for two months, rifling in after the visitors failed to deal with Jake Forster-Caskey’s free-kick.

But the visitors needed just seven minutes to restore parity thanks to Ali Al-Hamadi’s sweet strike for his 10th goal in his last 12 league games.

The 21-year-old Iraq international collected Saikou Janneh’s ball in the box before firing into the far corner.

Defender Will Nightingale headed narrowly wide just before the break for the Dons, while midfielder Kasey McAteer shot wide.

But Reid restored the home team’s lead with a clever lob shortly after the hour mark, with his eighth league goal of the campaign securing Boro’s first win in a month.

Al-Hamadi could have equalised once more in stoppage time but he blasted wide for the Dons.